GARDEN RIVER FIRST NATION—On August 24, the TEK Elders Group met with two representatives of Eacom Timber Corporation in Garden River First Nation.

The TEK Elders Group is composed of Robinson-Huron Treaty Elders working to end the aerial spraying of glyphosate in north shore Lake Huron forests. Glyphosate, also known as Roundup, is an herbicide used to kill poplar, raspberries, fireweed, birch, and other species that overgrow jack pine or spruce on recently replanted clear-cuts.

The purpose of the aerial spraying or “aerial tending”, as the Eacom representatives called it, is to “maintain the same proportion of species that were in the landscape when [the forest] was cut.”

Tallman said that forestry companies are mandated by Ontario to manage forests in such a way that replanted trees “go back to the forest inventory,” which occurs at the “free to grow” stage, five to 15 years after planting.

“Aerial tending is one of the more efficient ways for conifers to come up above the competition,” stated Jennifer Tallman.

“We have a very different perspective of how we manage the land,” stated Josh Eshkakogan, a citizen and Elder of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. “We try to create a very diverse land and we can’t use poison to create a certain species for a user group.”

The approach of the newcomers is point focused, as Art Petahtegoose explained, surveying land, renaming places and defining spatial areas for exploitation.

“Suddenly it voids our presence, it erases our presence in our home,” Art Petahtegoose said. “It’s not an objective that we’re exploiting, it’s a life…when we put the Anishinabek name on a water body, we say there is a life there, an ecology that has to remain intact.”

The Elders spoke about how herbicides poison everything that lives in the sprayed area, from the water to moose to insects, which together form an integrated whole.

“The weeds did their job at a certain time,” Ray Owl of Sagamok Anishnawbek explained. “The Creator made them to do their job. That lifecycle is only so long and then the jack pine or spruce takes over.”

Garden River citizen Sue Chiblow pointed out that “this whole perspective of a tree competing against another tree is actually not true,” and that trees have been shown to share nutrients through sophisticated underground networks.

The Eacom representatives said that the company incorporates First Nations perspectives in the forest management process through the committees in charge of writing the 10 year plans.

Amanda Barbe from Henvey Inlet First Nation, sits on two different forest management planning committees and she noted that she “can tell you it is just a formality, it is not consultation.”

The primary role of First Nations individuals on forest management planning teams is to provide statistical data and information on “values” – points like bird nests and burial sites, or clearly defined areas such as trap lines – that would be disturbed by forestry operations. In Ontario, the forest management planning process begins with Crown approval for aerial spraying already in place. The use of forest herbicides is covered under the Class Environmental Assessment for Timber Management decision issued in 1994.

“Many of us believe the Crown doesn’t have the jurisdiction [over forest management]…what we’re seeing here is a jurisdictional issue,” Kenneth Daigle from Batchewana First Nations said.The Elders made it clear that under Treaty the Anishinabek gave permission for the newcomers to come onto the land and make a life, but that the Anishinabek retain the authority to make land management decisions.

The Treaty was also meant to share the wealth of the land so that First Nations would “never be in want,” Petahtegoose said. Manual tending of replanted areas, while more expensive than using herbicides, is practiced in Quebec, where Eacom also has forestry operations and where aerial spraying is illegal.

“I was around when they used to tend and release yellow birch. As late as the 70s, when I was with Lands and Forests, every winter people were hired to tend yellow birch. The same thing could be applied here.”

Eacom’s representatives said that they take their permission for forestry practices from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Environment.

Stephen O’Neill, a lawyer and retired judge who represents the TEK Elders Group, spoke of the Robinson-Huron Treaty Annuities case and the resurgence of First Nations in the Treaty Territory. While the upcoming annuities decision won’t address aerial spraying, the court case goes to the heart of a treaty-making process in which First Nations and the Crown agreed to walk together, O’Neill said. He pointed out that when Eacom says it is not part of the problem between First Nations and the government, the company is in fact taking a side.

“If I say I’ll just get my authority from the Crown, am I not concluding that there is no [First Nations] perspective here, no authority, no jurisdiction?”

In January 2017, 21 Robinson-Huron Treaty Territory Chiefs signed a declaration and resolution calling for a moratorium on aerial spraying.

The declaration states that “the Robinson Huron Treaty communities and their people have not been adequately consulted as required by the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850 and Canadian law, nor has Canada or Ontario received our free, prior, and informed consent to spray these chemicals within our treaty territory, as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”

TORONTO – Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Elder Ray Owl has put the province on notice to stop the use of aerial spraying in the Robinson Huron Treaty territory. On the lawn of Queen’s Park in Toronto, May 31, he told the crowd of about 100 people that he went into the legislature building and spoke with the press. He said, “In that room over there, I declared war. It (aerial spraying) has to stop.”

This initiative was started several years ago when the Sagamok Anishnawbek Elder noticed signs in the bush while he was picking blueberries that aerial spraying was in use. After communicating with other Elders along the north shore of Lake Huron and in the Robinson Huron treaty territory, he learned aerial sprays were also being used in other areas. That’s when the TEK Group was formed, which is co-led by Mississauga First Nation Elder Willie Pine.Over the past few years, the initiative has been growing. Most recently, all 21 Robinson Huron Treaty Chiefs have signed a resolution to support the ban.

In part, the resolution reads, “The lands, waters, air, plants, animals, birds, insects and medicines within the Robinson Huron Treaty territory are being exposed to aerial spraying of chemical herbicides, including those containing glyphosate, with the intention that such application will encourage growth of planted trees by eliminating all other vegetation.”

The article also mentions that the chemicals used have “destructive effects and impacts upon the Anishinawbek way of life, including Treaty rights to fish, hunt, gather and harvest within the Robinson Huron Treaty territory.”

Since 2014, the group has delivered a position paper and written letters to the Federal Health Minister, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry and with the provincial Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation, seeking a moratorium on the use of aerial spraying. Despite those efforts, in it’s resolution, the TEK Group says aerial spraying has continued in various areas throughout the Robinson Huron Treaty territory.​At the peaceful demonstration at Queen’s Park, there were a small handful of Chiefs present, along with Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee.

Sagamok First Nation Chief Paul Eshkokogan is the regional Chief of the Robinson Huron Treaty. He said, “You know something is important when Elders take things into their own hands.”Former Superior Court Judge, The Honourable Stephen O’Neill reviewed the laws on the government responsibility of the ‘Duty to Consult’. He maintained First Nations were not consulted properly and spoke about the various Supreme Court decisions which have upheld the ‘Duty to Consult’.

From the grassroots level, Isaac Murdoch spoke at the event and said Anishinabek “have a right in our territories to say no.” Murdoch also discussed natural law and mentioned that resource extraction equals environmental devastation.

Elder Ray Owl says the province wants to see all First Nations on board the ban. Owl says he will be going to each territory to petition the people for their support to ban aerial spraying in Ontario.

Enough is enough already, so say North Shore elders who are standing up in what Sagamok First Nation elder Raymond Owl calls a “battle to prevent these violent acts against our environment,” namely the 30 year old program of aerial spraying of nearby forests with chemicals. Although these chemicals are banned by Health Canada for use in gardens and lawns they are still used by the forestry industry to proliferate profit. The chemical used in spraying, Glyphoshate has one purpose, “it is designed to kill” according to Physicians for the Environment. On August 19, Raymond Owl, an elder from Sagamok First Nation, along with Willie Pine from Mississaugi First Nation met with a group of elders, youth and other concerned citizens from the north shore of Lake Huron at Mississaugi First Nation to discuss and resolve what to do about the aerial spraying of forest in the region. Not prepared to sit by and allow the spraying of forest to continue as it has for over 30 years, Owl made the elders position clear saying, “aerial spraying is our common enemy.” He referred to the chemical, “Roundup or Glyphoshate” used in the spraying, as a cousin to “Agent Orange,” a chemical used in Vietnam which resulted in adverse health affects for American forces and Viet Cong alike. In an August 20th CBC interview in response to Raymond Owl and the elders' concerns, Toronto doctor, Gideon Foreman, Director of Physicians for the Environment, stated his group also has serious concerns about aerial spraying. Firstly, he said it is banned for lawn and garden use, and “is designed to kill;” also beneficial insects such as lady bugs, earth worms, frogs and other amphibians are negatively affected by the spraying. Foreman continued, saying, the Federal Government regulates what chemicals are used, and, any research in determining whether or not a chemical agent is used is provided to Health Canada by the users of the product. Gideon agreed with the elders by declaring “We don't think it should be used.” He went on to say his group believes the forestry industry “can continue without these products and find other ways.” Representatives from municipalities in the north shore area attending the elders' meeting were unanimous in supporting the elders concerns on requesting the province to begin a moratorium on the use of Glyphoshate. As a result of the meeting a resolution was made by the the Traditional Ecological Knowledge elders' (TEK) group to word and submit a request to the province to ban using the chemical. According to Health Canada, they are reevaluating Glyphoshate to determine the safety of its use and will come to a decision in late 2014. In the meantime, elders from the north shore of Lake Huron are hedging their bets by making their voices heard in addressing the dangerous impact of aerial spraying on the environment. Chief Seathl, one of the most revered First Nation chiefs, with his great and noble soul, faithfully mirrored the thoughts, dreams and aspirations of elders from the Norh Shore in his poem penned in 1852

This we know.The Earth does not belong to man:Man belongs to the earth.This we know.All things are connectedLike the blood which unites one family.All things are connected.Whatever befalls the earthBefalls the son of the earth.Man did not weave the web of life.He is merely a strand of it.Whatever he does to the web,He does to himself.”

One elder from the area told the group “we go up the Tote Road to pick our medicine and there is nothing there today.”

Perhaps Raymond Owl conveyed Chief's Seathl's plea when he told the group, “As humans we depend on the waters, air, plants, animals, birds, insects and medicines for survival, it is what sustains life, it is all inter connected. It is the Creator's Plan for us to live in harmony with these elements and to benefit from a long healthy life when we respect and honor what is given to us. It is our duty therefore to uphold the Creator's Plan.”

Deputy Mayor, Patricia Hnatuik of Sables-Spanish River township spoke at the meeting held in Mississauga First Nation on Aug. 19 on the use of aerial spraying being done near the municipality Photo by Jessica Brousseau/The Mid-North Monitor/QMI Agency

“What can possibly justify poisoning my child? How can you justify, as my government, to spray things over my home and kill my children and poison my food?”That was a question Cindy Chisholm, a councillor from Bruce Mines, asked at a meeting of communities at Willie’s Gas Bar, on Mississauga First Nation - west of Blind River.Concerned Elders, council members and residents along the North Shore gathered to discuss the implications of aerial spraying being done in their communities.The meeting, held on Aug. 19, saw travellers come under one roof to speak with a Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) representative on the dangers of herbicides spray being used on their land.“When we started this I was very concerned about aerial spraying,” said Elder Raymond Owl, of Sagamok First Nations.Owl said years ago, he and his son were driving in the bush where usually they would spot moose and other animals. However, on that day, they didn’t even see a squirrel.“No tracks at all, and on the way out we saw an aerial spraying sign. Had we seen it going in it would have saved us a lot of trouble,” said Owl. “Ever since that time I have had a hatred for that sign.”One of his concerns was the location of the signs, how they are located in the bush, rather than at entrances.“You’re not even warning people. Why put (the sign) in the back?”Because of these incidents Owl did more research and is joining other First Nations communities and municipalities to end aerial spraying.Gerry Vautour, owner of East Bull Lake Wilderness Resort in Massey, said his health has been affected because of the spraying.“This chemical breaks down your immune system, so you’re very vulnerable to different cancers and sicknesses,” said Vautour, holding an aerial spraying sign.“You’re poisoning our people, you’re poisoning our food source,” he continued, adding his health “went right in the toilet now because I watched those helicopters spraying this stuff.”The main chemical being discussed was glyphosate, which he was sprayed with. He fought to have his property not sprayed by the chemical and is now trying to pressure the government to stop spraying others.“Shouldn’t everyone have the same right that I fought for for two years? We all have that right.”The reason for the spray is to kill the weeds and allow the forest to thrive, according go the Ministry of Natural Resources. However like Owl, Vautour too noticed a decline in animal activity in the forest due to the chemicals killing birch and poplar trees - a source of food for wildlife.“I’m in the tourist business for hunting and fishing, and when you take away all the moose and bear who is going to come hunting here?”Vautour had contacted Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP Carol Hughes, and brought her to his resort in 2009 to show just how scarce wild life is becoming.“I brought her where they had just sprayed and there wasn’t a bird or a squirrel. We were standing there and there was no bug bites, nothing. Everything was dead. I said to Carol ‘look around.’”Hughes, who attended the meeting, said she had contacted the MNR regarding the use of glyphosate and the side effects it causes such as: destruction of red blood cells, lung dysfunction, low blood pressure and more. An email was sent back saying the use herbicides are “to ensure the long-term health of the forest” and the “use of herbicides in Canada is approved by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency.”This was echoed by Michelle Miller who works for the MNR out of the Blind River Office, but did add that the agency is re-evaluating the use of glyphosate.“All registered pesticides periodically undergo (revaluation),” she said. “During this re-evaluation Health Canada will review all new research that has been conducted on glyphosate, including human health and environmental effects and determine if any changes to current registered uses, such as forestry, are advised.”Unfortunately, until the review occurs the chemical is still being used and the Township of Sables-Spanish River is concerned as to what it is doing to their municipality.“We’re very concerned when we receive letters at our council table on when the spraying is going to happen north of our municipality or on our township or where Gerry lives,” said Patricia Hnatuik, Sables-Spanish township deputy mayor. “We write a letter right away, not giving our support and asking them to not spray. All that water in those areas feeds the lake and feeds Sables-River, which is the water supply for our town.”Hnatuik went on to say the township passed a bylaw to stop the spraying in their vicinity.Miller said any spraying near bodies of water is done within a 30-metre distance of any body of water, but Hnatuik said the wind carries the chemical regardless of where they are spraying.Charlie Smith, councillor for Sables-Spanish River brought the chemical back to the root. It is a poison.“The fact of the matter is I know that it is bad for you,” he said. “I wouldn’t care even if it was good for you and it made you live five years longer and grew three inches. I would still be opposed to it because you’re still poisoning everything.”He said the poison is leaving nothing to feed the animals, and that the forest belongs to the people.“We want to fill our freezers, we want to fill our fridges, we want to feed our children and we don’t want to feed them poison! We want our hunting, our fishing and our picking back!”The arguments and stories had Archie Baldwin of McKerrow, HP Roy of Blind River and Ted Linley of Huron Shores joining in the fight to put an end to aerial spraying.“If you are to succeed and I really hope you do, because you definitely have the support from all the townships, you are going to need massive unity,” said Baldwin. “Because if you don’t go to the Premier, you’re done. And I support you 100%”Roy said the issue has not been brought to Blind River council, but he would bring it to the table.Linley said something needs to be done, adding it’s not just disastrous for people, but the animals and forestry.Kandance Day Neveau, of Serpent River First Nation, spoke of how the death and illness being brought on by the spraying is “not fake, it’s not a movie,” and that it is time to stop ignoring it.“It’s one thing when we (the youth) come together, but it’s another when the Elders come together and they want their voices heard,” she said. “It’s very powerful.”Hughes said to go after is Health Canada, as they are the ones who have given the OK to use the chemical.“It’s not to point the finger at MNR themselves,” she said. “They are doing what they are mandated as employees to do, and Health Canada said this product is safe to use as far as their concern.”The First Nations and communities are working on a resolution that came out of the meeting.